BCS Bowl Predictions: How Many 2010 Participants Will Make Return Trips in 2011?
The 2010-2011 college football season was filled with controversy, including a flurry of violations and improper benefits involving a number of high profile programs and athletes.
But despite those blemishes, the schedule filled out nicely into a memorable year. Auburn rode Cam Newton all the way to a BCS National Championship, TCU quieted all doubters and Stanford simply has its Luck.
After saying farewell to a wealth of players who left for the NFL, many of those BCS teams will face the challenge of replacing those ultra-talented playmakers with a variety of unknowns.
Some will have that sort of talent littered throughout their underclassmen, whereas others won't be as fortunate to have stockpiled the same type of elites who led them to success.
Here are the predictions for BCS returners in 2011.
Auburn
1 of 10
Auburn lost a couple of anchors on both sides of the football in Cam Newton and Nick Fairley, as hardly many expect the Tigers to finish on a level anywhere close to where they did a year ago.
The road schedule for Gene Chizik's program is a rough one, with away games at Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia. With the amount of talent that needs to be replaced, simply coming out of their road matches unscathed seems highly improbable. In fact, dropping two of those seems more likely.
Although it will be difficult to discount the work that Chizik has done, he isn't reloading with the kind of top talent needed to make another BCS run.
Replacing a Heisman winning, national championship hoisting quarterback who accounted for over 2,800 passing yards and close to 1,500 rushing yards isn't an annual task for a football program.
Auburn's 2012 BCS Prediction: Not going to make it.
Oregon
2 of 10
The Ducks return a powerful core on offense. Quarterback Darron Thomas threw for almost 2,900 yards and 30 touchdowns, and running back LaMichael James led the country with 1,731 rushing yards.
Coach Chip Kelly will have to replace three offensive linemen, but he has put together a top 10 offense in three of the last four years. With his team ranked tops in the country in points scored, it is difficult to disregard his nose for playmakers.
Oregon has a number of question marks on defense, but the mantra that "defense wins championships" slowly seems to be a thing of the past. The Ducks should have a high-octane offense as usual, and it will carry them through their schedule.
Kelly has probably put asterisks next to a pair of tough road matchups. His Ducks open the season in SEC country against LSU. Oregon's final road game comes against Stanford in what likely will produce the Pac-12 North Champions.
Oregon's 2012 BCS Prediction: They're in, provided they beat Stanford.
TCU
3 of 10
TCU lost 26 seniors from its Rose Bowl-winning roster that went 13-0. Quarterback Andy Dalton's departure will hurt the most in the Horned Frogs final year in the Mountain West before moving to the Big East.
Coach Gary Patterson will have two stiff tests on the schedule. His team opens the year at Baylor, and the Bears aren't the same rollover team they were half a decade ago. But the biggest challenge for the Horned Frogs comes on Nov. 12 when they square off in their lone conference meeting with Boise State, the MWC's newest member.
If TCU can get by Baylor, avoid a letdown at San Diego State and survive the blue turf, the Frogs may have an argument for a return to the big time.
TCU's 2012 BCS Prediction: Don't count on it. A loss at Boise State is the deal-breaker.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Wisconsin
4 of 10
Wisconsin's punishing running game looks to be a mainstay through the 2011-2012 season. The Badgers return two legitimate 1,000 yards rushers in James White (1,052) and Montee Ball (996) for what could be another top 15 rushing program (2008, 2009, 2010).
Coach Bret Bielema was unlucky to draw TCU in the Rose Bowl, but he consistently fields a hard-nosed defense to balance his physical rushing attack.
Five of Wisconsin's first six games are at home, but away games at Michigan State and Ohio State, which will have its players back from their suspensions, present respectable challenges. Getting away with at least one win from those road assignments
If the Badgers get on a roll, they have the tools on offense and defense that can translate to a Big Ten Title.
Wisconsin's 2012 BCS Prediction: They're in.
Oklahoma
5 of 10
As the No. 1 team in many preseason rankings, the Sooners return an important combo in quarterback Landry Jones and receiver Ryan Broyles, the latter being the team's most crucial playmaker.
DeMarco Murray went to the NFL, but Coach Bob Stoops always seems to have viable options for his backfield.
Oklahoma was exposed to have a rather weak secondary, but if the offense can throw up 40 points a game, the Crimson and Cream may not have to worry too much.
An early season road trip to Florida State could be a deciding factor on the Sooners' hopes of a return to the BCS, as their road schedule doesn't appear to be too harsh. Even a slip up against the Seminoles won't matter if OU runs the table.
Oklahoma's 2012 BCS Prediction: They're in.
UConn
6 of 10
The Huskies rode on the shoulders of their star running back Jordan Todman last season as he ranked fourth in Div. I with 1,695 rushing yards. But his departure likely means a drastic drop in offensive production for UConn which skid past West Virginia for the Big East's BCS bid in 2010.
The team will unveil a new quarterback in addition to its new head coach, Paul Pasqualoni.
To make matters worse, UConn's toughest conference games are on the road against the Mountaineers, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati to finish the season.
UConn simply doesn't look to have the replacements necessary to make a BCS splash again.
UConn's 2012 BCS Prediction: They'll be watching, not playing.
Stanford
7 of 10
Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck returns for the Cardinal, but the program will have to replace a number of components that present huge uncertainty despite the stability at quarterback.
Coach Jim Harbaugh darted for the NFL, and three offensive linemen followed suit. David Shaw, who was promoted from within, will take over as head coach, but the defense that ranked 10th in points allowed will need work as well to remedy its departures.
The first half of Stanford's schedule is hardly daunting, but the latter half is littered with possible losses. After consecutive road games at USC and Oregon State, the Cardinal come home for three games against Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame to finish the year.
Stanford's 2012 BCS Prediction: They'll miss the party, but not by much.
Virginia Tech
8 of 10
Virginia Tech will sorely miss a trio of playmakers in quarterback Tyrod Taylor and running backs Ryan Williams and Darren Evans. But Coach Frank Beamer recruits and utilizes his players well.
The Hokies will welcome back most of their starting offensive linemen and a good receivers corp. However, finding replacements for a depleted defensive line may be a problem even though the rest of their defense returns.
A typically rough nonconference schedule is not on the board for this season for Tech, and drawing Clemson, Miami (FL) and North Carolina at home will help down the stretch.
Virginia Tech's 2012 BCS Prediction: It will be close, but the Hokies will be watching in January.
Ohio State
9 of 10
Everyone knows about Ohio State's violations and suspensions, including Coach Jim Tressel, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, running back Dan Herron and receiver DeVier Posey, among others.
With such a tremendous amount of talent and inspiration away from the team during game day, one can only imagine the negative impact it could bring to the Buckeyes season.
Should Ohio State come away unscathed from its nonconference schedule, the remaining portion of the year will look incredibly bright, but consistency and rust from the suspended have to be concerning.
A tough road assignment against Miami (FL) early on will test the Buckeyes without their stars. Away games at Nebraska and Michigan won't be easy either.
Ohio State's 2012 BCS Prediction: Won't happen.
Arkansas
10 of 10
Bobby Petrino's defense likely will be the story of this Razorback program in 2011 as replacing Ryan Mallet will be a mighty task.
With running back Knile Davis returning after a 1,300 yards sophomore season, Arkansas ground game looks to be healthy. But having to replace both tackles on the offensive line will be a process to watch as the season begins.
Road SEC games against Alabama to begin conference play and LSU to end conference play will be very telling as to how set the Razorbacks are for a return to the BCS. A matchup with Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas will be a good nonconference test against a solid opponent.
Arkansas' 2012 BCS Prediction: They barely squeeze by to get a bid.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
